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Protecting our air, land, and water, securing our future

People across the country are worried about the future. Flooding and forest fires are threatening our homes. Polluted air and water are hitting communities hard.

It’s time to fight climate change like we actually want to win. But the Liberals are just wasting time while they let the biggest polluters off the hook and give billions in subsidies to oil and gas companies. And while the Conservatives deny a problem even exists, families know we can’t waste any more time.

We can make different choices for our environment – and the future of our communities. We can transition to a clean energy, carbon-free economy while investing in workers and creating jobs. And we can make life more affordable for families with retrofits, electric transit, and zero-emission vehicles. Together, we can protect our air and water and become climate leaders.

Our commitments to you

Taking climate leadership

We need to protect our communities from the impacts of climate change by setting ambitious emissions targets, declaring a climate emergency, and making the government a trail-blazer in tackling climate change.

Creating good jobs in all regions

Our plan to create over 300,000 good jobs will support families and bring reliable work to communities across the country, while providing training and support to workers as the economy changes.

Improving where we live and work

Making all new buildings energy-efficient and retrofitting existing ones means we can save families $900 or more every year, while reducing emissions.

Changing how we get around

We’ll make it easier and more affordable for Canadians to get around by investing in electric transit, improved transit routes, and fare-free public transit – and help make it easy to own zero-emission vehicles.

Powering our communities carbon-free

Canadians are paying the price while big polluters profit. We’ll cut big oil and gas subsidies and reinvest that money to protect good jobs for people while investing in net-carbon free electricity.

Protecting our land and water

All communities should have clean water, land, and air. We’ll ban single-use plastics, protect our oceans and marine life, revitalize our forests, and guarantee the health of our lakes and rivers for our kids and grandkids.

Taking climate leadership

It’s time for a roadmap to emissions reductions that puts our communities and our planet on the path to good health and sustainability. Under Liberal and Conservative governments, Canada is not even on track to meet the modest targets we already have - let alone the stronger ones required to prevent dangerous climate change.

A New Democrat government will declare a climate emergency and put in place ambitious, science-based greenhouse gas reductions targets that will help stabilize the global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius. We’ll put these targets in legislation and ensure accountability by creating an independent Climate Accountability Office to do regular audits of progress towards our climate goals.

Recognizing that putting a price on carbon is an important tool to drive greenhouse gas reductions at the source, we will continue carbon pricing, including rebates to households that fall under the federal backstop plan, while making it fairer and rolling back the breaks this Liberal government has given to big polluters.

The federal government can also model change by becoming a trail-blazer in energy efficiency, clean technologies, and renewable energy use. We will lead by example and procure from Canadian companies producing clean technology, ensure that federal buildings use renewable energy, and move the vehicle fleets of the federal government to electric by 2025, choosing made-in-Canada wherever possible.

Creating good jobs in all regions

The global climate is changing and Canadian jobs will change too. But successive Liberal and Conservative governments have left workers to navigate these shifts on their own.

We can do better. New Democrats believe that any climate change plan that leaves Canadian workers or regions behind is no plan at all. Our plan will create over 300,000 good jobs in all communities within a first mandate, and rebuild local economies with meaningful, family-sustaining work in every part of the country, all while helping to make the changes we need to succeed in a low-carbon future.

New Democrats are making a commitment to workers most impacted by the changes in our economy that they will not pay the price of action on climate change. We will work together with labour, employers, and the provinces and territories to find solutions for workers and communities, including dedicated employment support that combines access to expanded EI benefits, re-training, and job placement services, paired with significant investments to create quality local jobs and support thriving communities.

We’ll work with the provinces to provide training and re-training for the new job market, as well as labour market research to keep Canada on the cutting edge of the evolving work environment.

New Democrats will also vigorously defend pensions, so that workers can always count on the retirement security that they’ve earned, and make sure that people who are close to the end of their careers have a bridge to a dignified retirement.

An important part of our plan will include making sure that physical, digital, and social infrastructure investments contribute to emissions reductions and support all regions and communities,especially those already experiencing the impacts of climate change with the good, family-sustaining jobs they bring.

We will also expand support and technological assistance to bring more innovative Canadian clean technologies to market and support manufacturing right here at home.

Improving where we live and work

Our communities are where we can feel the impacts of climate change – and one of the best places that we can invest to reduce emissions, save money, and make life better for everyone.

That’s why a key component of our plan is to require large-scale building retrofits in all sectors to reduce energy demand, create jobs, and save people money. A New Democrat government would begin by working in partnership with the provinces and territories to fund energy efficient retrofits on social housing units and government buildings, expanding outwards from there.

We will set a target of retrofitting all housing stock in Canada by 2050, providing low-interest loans repayable through energy savings to pay for home upgrades like insulation, windows, heat pumps, and other renewable technologies.

We’ll improve the National Building Code to ensure that by 2030, every new building built in Canada is net-zero energy ready. Energy efficiency and sustainable building practices will be at the core of our national housing strategy, leveraging the power of federal investments to create good jobs all across the country delivering the affordable housing Canadians need.

To set our communities up for climate change resilience, a New Democrat government will work with provinces, municipalities, and Indigenous government to make sure that Canadian communities have the resources they need to cope safely with extreme weather events.

Changing how we get around

From the family car to the buses connecting rural communities, we’re rapidly moving towards a future where vehicles produce dramatically less emissions, or none at all. And if we make the right choices now, it means creating good jobs building the vehicles and transit infrastructure we need to keep Canadians moving.

Quality public transit is essential to making our cities and towns run. Municipalities are already investing in making their transit systems better and more environmentally friendly – it’s time that they had a federal partner to help.

A New Democrat government will modernize and expand public transit in communities across Canada, and ensure that federal transit funding flows with an emphasis on scaling up low-carbon transitprojects, like zero-emissions buses and electric trains, with the goal of electrifying transit and other municipal fleets by 2030.

Working with provinces and municipalities that identify it as a priority, we will help them build towards fare-free transit to ease commutes, help people make ends meet, and lower emissions. At the same time, Canadians living in rural areas need affordable, convenient transit options that they can rely on, too. We’ll re-establish rural bus routes abandoned by Greyhound and expand bus service in rural regions.

A New Democrat government will also support creating high-frequency rail along the Quebec-Windsor corridor and expand rail service options in other regions in partnership with the provinces and territories. By working to restore the Ontario Northlander and grow passenger rail service, we will help provide a crucial transportation link for communities and businesses alike in Northern Ontario.

We know that Canadians want to do their part to reduce emissions when they travel – that’s why our plan will make it easier to get and use a zero-emissions vehicle (ZEV), and make sure that more ZEVs are built right here at home.

Our vision includes making it possible for Canadian auto manufacturers to produce more ZEVs in Canada, safeguarding good jobs, and strengthening our auto sector, while building towards ZEVs being 100% of new car sales by 2040. We will create a centre of excellence for research and development of ZEVs, and support Canadian manufacturing of batteries, energy storage solutions, and alternative fuels like biofuels made from waste.

A New Democrat government will extend federal incentives for ZEVs and provide a break for working families by waiving the federal sales tax on ZEV purchases, and grow these incentives up to $15,000 per family for made-in-Canada vehicles. To make ZEV use easier for Canadians in all regions, we’ll expand charging networks for ZEVs across the country and help homeowners cover the cost of installing a plug-in charger.

Better commutes include promoting smart community planning and active transportation like walking and cycling, helping Canadians make choices that are healthier and more affordable for everyone.

Powering our communities carbon-free

Canada has huge untapped renewable energy potential. With the right leadership, we can protect good, family-sustaining jobs across the country and broaden our economy while making the shift to electricity that meets our emissions targets.

New Democrats will set a target to power Canada with net carbon-free electricity by 2030 and move to 100% non-emitting electricity by 2050. To drive this progress, we will establish a new Canadian Climate Bank. This bank will help boost investment in renewable energy, energy efficiency, and low carbon technology across the country. It will also provide support for interested provinces to inter-connect power grids and introduce smart grid technology to bolster Canada’s energy security and distribute clean power across the country. The Climate Bank will also support made-in-Canada manufacturing of renewable energy components and technologies, and help scale up Canada’s clean energy industry.

Meeting this carbon-free electricity goal in a way that respects local communities and creates good jobs is essential. We’ll support investments in innovative community-owned and operated clean energy projects to keep jobs and expertise local, work in partnership with Indigenous and northern communities to move off diesel, improve energy security, and cut emissions and air pollution.

One thing we won’t do is continue down the path that Liberal and Conservative governments have chosen when it comes to spending public money on oil and gas subsidies. Canada currently spends $3.3 billion per year, more per capita than any other G7 country, on oil and gas subsidies. And on top of that, Justin Trudeau purchased the Kinder Morgan oil pipeline for a staggering $4.5 billion and gave another $1.6 billion in handouts to the oil patch. New Democrats know that public funds are best spent supporting the transition to renewable energy rather than on profitable oil and gas companies. We will fulfill Canada’s G-20 commitment to eliminate these fossil fuel subsidies and redirect these funds to low carbon initiatives.

New Democrats believe in giving Canadians a stronger voice in energy decisions that impact their communities. We will overhaul the process for reviewing major projects to ensure adequate time for public consultation and provide core funding to support Indigenous communities participating in these processes. We will ensure that proposed projects align with our emissions reductions targets, respect Indigenous rights, and create good jobs here in Canada.

Protecting our land and water

Making sure that our lands and waters are protected is essential to making real progress on our climate change goals and to safeguarding a good quality of life for all Canadians.

It’s time to enshrine in law the right to a healthy environment. Our federal Environmental Bill of Rights will ensure that all communities can enjoy a guarantee to clean water, land, and air. New Democrats will also better protect Canadians from toxic substances in everyday products like cosmetics, through a strengthened Canadian Environmental Protection Act.

To reduce waste in our landfills and communities, a New Democrat government will ban single-use plastics across Canada and hold companies responsible for the entire lifecycle of their plastics products and packaging. We’ll help municipalities improve their waste management and recycling programs and work towards a zero-waste future.

Conservation is a vital way to protect ecosystems and preserve biodiversity. New Democrats will protect 30% of our land, freshwater, and oceans by 2030 and back those protections with funding and enforcement. We’ll also work with other levels of government to develop a system of urban national parks – and a national approach to tree-planting using responsible reforestation to help lower our carbon footprint.

It’s time for strong action to protect species at risk in Canada. New Democrats will use all the tools available under the Species at Risk Act and ensure the implementation of recovery strategies to preserve biodiversity for generations to come.

Recognizing that protecting our oceans is an important part of fighting climate change, a New Democrat government work to reduce emissions from shipping and fishing, prevent ocean acidification, and preserve ocean biodiversity by expanding marine protected areas.

Canada’s freshwater resources are critical for the health and well-being of our ecosystems, our communities, and our local economies. A New Democrat government will implement a national freshwater strategy and work with the provinces and territories to protect our waterways under international agreements. We will also reverse the harmful changes brought in by the Conservatives, fully restore navigable waters protections for all of Canada’s lakes and rivers, and invest in research to support freshwater protections.

The way we grow crops, raise livestock, and use food also has an impact on our climate future – and nutrition for all Canadians. We’ll work to connect communities to farmers through local food hubs and develop a national food waste strategy to reduce the huge amounts of food that currently go to waste in Canada. A New Democrat government will also partner with farmers and communities to support biodiversity and to monitor and protect pollinator health.

Support our plan for climate action and good jobs

Add your name to support our commitment to climate action that creates jobs, saves you money, and protects our beautiful environment: